Female media use behavior and agreement with publicly promoted agenda-specific health messages.

This study set out to explore the relationship between female media use behavior and agreement with agenda-specific publicly promoted health messages. A random digit dial telephone cross-sectional survey was conducted using a nationally representative sample of female residents aged 25 and over. Respondents' agreement with health messages was measured by a six-item Health Information Scale (HIS). Data were analyzed using chi-square tests and multiple logistic regression. This survey achieved a response rate of 86% (n = 1074). In this study the longest duration of daily television news watching (OR = 2.32), high self-efficacy (OR = 1.56), and greater attention to medical and health news (OR = 5.41) were all correlates of greater agreement with the selected health messages. Surprisingly, Internet use was not significant in the final model. Many women that public health interventions need to be targeting are not receptive to health information that can be accessed through Internet searches. However, they may be more readily targeted by television campaigns. Agenda-specific public health campaigns aiming to empower women to serve as nodes of information transmission and achieve efficient trickle down through the family unit might do better to invest more heavily in television promotion.

Perception of spokespersons' performance and characteristics in crisis communication: experience of the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: To explore perception of spokespersons' performance and characteristics in response to the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak. METHODS: This study was conducted from March to July, 2005, using semi-structured in-depth interviews to collect data. All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. A qualitative content analysis was employed to analyze the transcribed data. Interviewees included media reporters, media supervisors, health and medical institution executives or spokespersons, and social observers. RESULTS: Altogether, 35 interviewees were recruited for in-depth interviews, and the duration of the interview ranged from 1 hour to 2 hours. Results revealed that the most important characteristics of health/medical institutions spokespersons are professional competence and good interaction with the media. In contrast, the most important behaviors they should avoid are concealing the truth and misreporting the truth. Three major flaws of spokespersons' performance were identified: they included poor understanding of media needs and landscape; blaming the media to cover up a mistake they made in an announcement; and lack of sufficient participation in decision-making or of authorization from the head of organization. CONCLUSION: Spokespersons of health and medical institutions play an important role in media relations during the crisis of a newly emerging infectious disease.